Russia has started the week with a new massive bombardment combined with drones and missiles against Ukrainian territory. Putin's troops killed at least one person in Kiev during the attack, which targeted several regions of the country. There were also explosions this morning in the city of Kharkiv in northeastern Ukraine and in the western Ukrainian region of Ivano-Frankivsk, which, according to regional authorities, suffered the most massive attack of the entire war.
In the Ukrainian capital, four districts of the city have been attacked, with reported residential buildings set on fire, as well as a kiosk and a kindergarten, as stated on Telegram by the mayor of Kiev, Vitali Klitschko.
The attacks occurred after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that Kiev had proposed a new round of peace talks to Moscow. Two previous rounds of dialogue in Istanbul did not make progress towards a ceasefire, only resulting in a prisoner exchange and agreements to return the bodies of deceased soldiers.
Death toll rises to two after Russian attack tonight
Russia launched a new combined massive attack last night with over 420 drones and more than 20 missiles against Ukrainian territory, killing at least two people and targeting several regions of the country, as reported by President Volodymyr Zelensky.
"There has been damage in Kiev and the region, as well as in the regions of Kharkiv and Ivano-Frankivsk. Attack drones were intercepted over the regions of Sumy, Khmelnytskyi, Kirovohrad, Mykolaiv, Poltava, and Kherson," Zelensky wrote on his social media.
According to the Ukrainian president, 15 people were injured as a result of the bombing. Some of the projectiles launched by Russia were ballistic missiles.
Spain deploys fighters for the first time in Iceland with NATO against Russian interference
The Air and Space Army will deploy F-18 fighter jets for the first time in its history in Iceland as part of NATO's Air Policing mission to reinforce surveillance in the North Atlantic against the interference of Russian aircraft in allied airspace and its vicinity, as reported by Efe.
Six fighters will make up the detachment, named 'Stinga' (sting in Icelandic), along with a contingent of up to 122 military personnel including pilots, mechanics, armament specialists, logistics, security, and other support services necessary to carry out the mission, as reported by Defense.
The fighters will arrive on Tuesday and, after a few days of preparation, will integrate into NATO's command structure on the 28th, thus beginning an operation that will last until mid-August.
China criticizes "unfounded accusations" from the EU on Ukraine ahead of bilateral summit
China expressed on Monday its hope that the European Union will advance in long-term cooperation despite differences, but criticized that "some people in Europe" exaggerate commercial issues and make "unfounded accusations" about China's position on the war in Ukraine, as reported by Efe.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun stated today that "some people in Europe insist on the so-called 'triple characterization' of China and unilaterally exaggerate economic and commercial issues, in addition to making unfounded accusations about Ukraine," which, according to Beijing, "has created unnecessary disruptions" in the bilateral relationship.
Guo stated that China "hopes that the EU will move in the same direction, overcome differences, and jointly plan cooperation for the next 50 years," at a time when the relationship faces tensions on several fronts.
Ukraine Air Force says Russia launched 450 drones and missiles overnight
The Ukrainian Air Force reported on Monday that Russia launched 426 drones and 24 missiles in a nighttime aerial attack against Ukraine, as reported by Reuters.
They shot down or interfered with 224 drones and missiles, while another 203 drones disappeared from radars, likely due to electronic warfare interference, according to the Air Force.
Russia claims to have shot down 117 Ukrainian drones, including 30 over the Moscow region
The Russian Ministry of Defense reported having shot down a total of 117 Ukrainian drones overnight, including 30 over the Moscow region.
Russian troops approach one of Ukraine's largest coal mines
Russian troops have approached the Krasnolymanska coal mine, one of the largest in the Donbas coal basin, as reported by Donetsk authorities appointed by Moscow, according to Efe.
"Our troops have approached the Krasnolymanska mine. The main administrative and production complex of the company is less than a kilometer away," said Donetsk leader's advisor Igor Kimakovski to TASS news agency.
According to TASS, the mine in question is the second largest in Ukraine and is located near the city of Rodinske, about 60 kilometers from the capital of Donetsk.
The annual coal production here amounts to several million tons, with the extracted raw material used in metallurgy.